BAA completes comms overhaul

BAA has completed a multi-million-pound overhaul of its comms operation
as the airport operator faces one of the biggest tests in its
history.

With the Olympics in full flow, the owner of Heathrow and Stansted
Airports has brought in a raft of new agencies for a project-based
roster.

The conclusion of the half-year process comes as BAA deals with an
onslaught of media and visitors for the Games. BAA was slammed last
month for lengthy passport processing delays at Heathrow, but the
airport has coped with the Olympic influx so far without incident.

PRWeek understands Portland has been taken on for a London 2012-focused
brief to help tailor the airport operator's comms approach during the
Olympics and Paralympics.

Additionally, BAA has brought in MHP to handle financial comms and
updates on passenger numbers. Grayling Belgium is also a new
appointment, focusing on EU-level public affairs.

Simon Baugh, director of media and PR for BAA, declined to confirm
details of agencies picked for the roster but said: 'We've moved from a
retainer system to a roster of agencies and a more project-based brief,
focusing on agencies to provide additional creative support rather than
the more typical press office work of the past.

'It's about bringing in help with messaging and campaign ideas, and
though the review was prompted by a statutory requirement we wanted to
take the opportunity to look at it afresh. Having a roster gives you a
competitive tension.'

Among those retained for the new roster, which contains five lots
thought to be worth £4m over four years, are incumbent consumer
shop Mischief, public affairs agency RLM Finsbury and crisis comms
consultancy Regester Larkin.

BAA's agencies are likely to be charged with communicating the opening
of its £1.5bn Terminal 2 at Heathrow and its ongoing quest for a
third runway.

Meanwhile, Blue Rubicon is understood to have been reappointed for
corporate briefs.

These include working on BAA's Connecting for Growth campaign calling on
the Government to support new hub airport capacity to link Britain to
emerging markets.

The review was widely criticised after PRWeek revealed BAA was charging
agencies around £1,000 for each of the five briefs they pitched
for (25 April). BAA insisted it was 'covering expenses'.